Blog

  • 3 Updated Resources for Insurance Professionals

    As anyone who attends my insurance CE webinars knows, I love to share new and updated resources on a variety of insurance topics. Many are subjects of the classes I develop, write, and teach. Others simply catch my interest.

    Here are URLs to 3 different resources I stumbled across recently and thought you might find interesting.

    2023 Guide to Cannabis Markets

    The Insurance Journal magazine provides a wealth of information not only in its magazine but also on its website and via free newsletters. In its 2023 guide, you’ll find carriers that offer insurance programs for clients in the cannabis industry, information about proper dosing for edibles, and other tidbits. You can also subscribe to free newsletters that focus on topics that include Insuring Cyber, Health & Benefits, Agencies for Sale, Research & Trends, Property.Casualty Products and Services, and more.

    InsurTech Center

    Insurance Technology is transforming our industry. Don’t fall behind when it comes to understanding and implementing tools that will help you grow professionally. PropertyCasualty360 is a great print magazine and online resource that addresses a tremendous number of subjects. Its InsurTech Center has separate areas on its website devoted to, among others, Artificial Intelligence, Analytics & Data, Information Security. You can register for newsletters here.

    Insurance Fraud

    Although I shouldn’t be, I’m constantly amazed by the creativity employed by fraudsters. The Coalition Against Insurance Fraud has a great website that includes scam alerts, excellent detail about how insurance fraud works, free webinars, and podcasts.

    Did you know that scammers posing as life insurance agents are scouring obituaries and then approaching grieving individuals after their spouses have died? Here’s the deal: The fraudster claims the deceased spouse purchased a huge life insurance policy ($1 million or more) and wanted to keep the policy secret. However … the most recent premium needs to be paid before the grace period expires if the deceased spouse/beneficiary wants to submit a death claim. Obviously, there is no policy. Click here for scam alerts and other highly beneficial information.

  • Flash Fiction and Short Stories

    Flash Fiction and Short Stories

    My hiatus from blogging is now at an end, thank goodness, and I’m dabbling in different types of writing–including flash fiction.

    Since November, when my life got a little crazy for a while, I completed a novel and sent it off to a number of agents and publishers. It’s receiving good reviews but not good enough to convince a publisher to buy. Yet.

    I’ve begun a new novel, have returned to writing short stories, and am having a lot of fun creating flash fiction. I’ll be submitting some of the shorter pieces to publishers and sharing others here on my blog.

    Here’s the first installment of flash fiction. I used a prompt for this piece, which included writing for a total of 10 minutes: 2 minutes each for:

    • A mint
    • A flower
    • A pair of shoes
    • A calendar
    • A phone

    Tea Party

    The tea tasted awful–like the spearmint leaf floating on top had been soaked in motor oil before being brewed–acrid and brown rather than perky and green.

    Perhaps Lorna had allowed the plant to flower, sucking from the herb most of its tingly flavor and imbuing it, instead, with a tang reminiscent of a pair of shoes worn without socks in the middle of summer.

    I pulled up the calendar app in my phone and entered a note: Do NOT revisit Lorna’s house for refreshments.

  • What is Creativity?

    What is Creativity?

    What is creativity, you ask? Here’s the best description I’ve heard:

    “Creativity can be described as letting go of certainties.”

    Gail Sheehy

    Enough said. Back to the keyboard…

  • 5 Reasons Why I Hate Halloween

    5 Reasons Why I Hate Halloween

    Call me a killjoy, everyone else does. But first, listen to the reasons why I hate Halloween:

    Why I Hate Halloween: Reason #1

    Candy. I’m not a fan.

    Especially once I saw the little crispy rice thingies in the Nestles crunch bar moving. Talk about disgusting. I’ll bet a cheapskate had some leftover candy the previous Halloween and “forgot” to look at the expiration date.

    Reason #2

    The dark. It scares me.

    Probably because of the creepy-crawlies that populate the night, like the ones my brothers told me about when we were kids. The snake that lives under the bed and wraps itself around your arms and legs if you let them hang off the mattress. The gnome who lives in the crawlspace and comes out after you go to sleep. Unless you make sure the case your parents’ 78 records are in is sitting right on top of the hatch to the crawlspace.

    Reason #3

    Costumes. They never come with good shoes.

    The one and only costume I ever enjoyed was the princess dress in … second grade, I think. It came accessorized with a genuine tiara and glass shoes! Okay, so the diamonds were really rhinestones, and the glass heels were really made of clear plastic. Seriously, though, I’ve never found another costume like that one. Never.

    Reason #4

    Trick-or-treating. Refer to Reason #2.

    If this foolish activity were conducted at dawn instead of dusk (I’m a morning person), I might have a completely different take on Halloween. But it doesn’t. Because I don’t do the candy-begging thing, I stay home when Michael takes the grandkids around. This year, my sidekick for the past ten Halloweens (a big black cat named Murphy) is doing his thing in heaven, so I’ll be working solo answering the ringing doorbell. It’s tough to read a good book when you’re interrupted every four-and-a-half minutes by squealing goblins.

    Final Reason Why I Hate Halloween

    Black. Orange.

    I don’t care what anyone else says, these two colors simply do NOT go together.

    RIP, Murph
  • 4 Medicare Tips: What to Know Before Enrolling

    4 Medicare Tips: What to Know Before Enrolling

    The longer I work in the insurance industry (and the older I get), the more I receive requests for Medicare tips. I’ve written dozens of courses on the topic and regularly teach insurance courses on the subject. Therefore, I’m happy to offer my list of SOME of the must-know information you should have before enrolling in Medicare.

    Tip #1: You’re Not Automatically Eligible or Enrolled

    A person must earn a minimum amount of wages to be eligible for Medicare (and all Social Security Benefits). In addition, the wages earned have been paid in a job/occupation for which payroll taxes were paid under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). The time period for full Social Security benefit eligibility is 10 years of full-time employment. This is also referred to as 40 credits by the Social Security Administration. (Click here to learn more about earning SS credits.)

    The only people who are automatically enrolled in Medicare–meaning they don’t need to sign themselves up personally–are individuals who have already applied for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits because they:

    • Have been receiving retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board for at least 4 months before they turn age 65
    • Are not yet age 65 and have been receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for 24 months
    • Are not yet age 65 and have been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease)
    • Have been diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)–regardless of age–and all the following conditions apply:
      • The person’s kidneys no longer work
      • The person needs regular dialysis or have had a kidney transplant
      • Eligibility for Social Security has been established by one of the following:
        • The required credits have been earned under Social Security, the Railroad Retirement Board, or as a government employee
        • The individual is already receiving, or is eligible for, Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits
        • The individual is a dependent child or spouse of a person who meets one of the previous requirements

    If you don’t meet the criteria above, you need to enroll yourself. You can do that online at SSA.gov, in person at a Social Security office, or by telephone. The quickest way to enroll is online–after creating that online account with Social Security.

    Tip #2: You Can Only Enroll at Certain Times of the Year

    This is probably one of the most important Medicare tips you’ll receive: The best time to enroll in Medicare is during Initial Enrollment Period, which revolves around each person’s 65th birthday. It begins 3 months before the birthday month and ends three months after it. For instance, if your birth is August 4, your initial enrollment period begins on May 1 and ends on November 30.

    If you enroll during your initial enrollment period, you will NOT pay a late enrollment penalty. However, if you do NOT enroll during your initial enrollment period, you MAY pay a late enrollment penalty when you do enroll.

    The annual Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7 each year. Anyone can enroll in Medicare during this time. In addition, those already enrolled in Medicare can change plans during this time. New coverage, as well as any changes, become effective on January 1.

    The annual General Enrollment Period runs from January 1 to March 31 each year. Anyone can enroll in Medicare during this period. However, coverage begins on July 1 and enrollment may be subject to a late enrollment penalty.

    Click here for more information about initial, open, and general enrollment periods. Several Special Enrollment Periods are available for people who lose existing insurance coverage (such as employer- or group-sponsored health insurance) or who move.

    Tip #3: Coverage Isn’t Free

    Many people mistakenly believe that because they contributed to the Medicare program through their payroll taxes (FICA), they won’t have to pay a premium for their coverage. Here’s the financial part of my Medicare tips: the scoop about the premiums charged for the various coverage parts:

    Medicare Part A/Hospital Insurance: Those who are fully eligible for Social Security benefits (i.e., they have 40 credits) do NOT pay a premium for Part A. Those who are only partially eligible or not eligible at all, may enroll in Medicare and pay a premium. Here’s the monthly premium breakdown:

    • 40 credits = $0
    • 30 to 39 credits = $278
    • 0 to 29 credits = $$506

    Medicare Part B/Medical Insurance: Unless they are eligible for Extra Help or also have Medicaid and are eligible for a premium assistance plan, everyone pays a premium for Part B. This applies even if they are also enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C). In 2022, the monthly premium is $170.10. In 2023, the monthly premium will be $164.90.

    Medicare Part D/Prescription Drug Coverage: Everyone pays a premium for Part D–unless they are eligible for Extra Help or also have Medicaid and are eligible for a premium assistance plan. The cost for each plan varies, because each plan is sold by a private insurer. Each plan and its premiums are subject to CMS/Medicare rules and state insurance regulations.

    Medicare Part C/Medicare Advantage Plans: Like Part D plans, Part C plans are issued by private insurance companies and each plan’s premiums are different. They are also subject to CMS/Medicare rules and state insurance regulations.

    Tip #4: Make Sure You Talk to a Trusted Agent

    Medicare’s website, medicare.gov, contains the majority of information anyone needs to learn about Medicare eligibility, enrollment, coverages, and how everyone works. Admittedly, not everyone is a computer whiz or equipped with the patience to read through Medicare’s website. That’s why talking to a trusted, professional agent is essential.

    Federal law has established guidelines for the sales and marketing of all Medicare plans, and for how people can engage in sales and marketing activities. Click here to review Medicare’s marketing rules and the rules that apply for meeting with an agent.

    If any agent, or anyone claiming to be an agent, fails to comply with these rules, find yourself a new agent. And report the person taking advantage of you!


    Feel free to ask any questions you might have. I’ll be happy to provide you with more Medicare tips, answer questions, and/or provide you with additional resources. You can reach out to me here.